Podcast Summary: Power Hour Optometry

Episode Title: Closing the 95% Myopia Gap: The Consult, the Close, and the Systems That Drive Growth

Host: Eugene Shatsman (The Power Practice)
Guest: Matt Oerding (Co-founder, Treehouse Eyes)
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the persistent gap between U.S. optometrists offering myopia management and the small percentage of children actually receiving treatment. Host Eugene Shatsman interviews myopia industry leader Matt Oerding, who shares compelling data, research-derived insights on parent psychology, and practical systems to boost myopia treatment adoption in clinical practice. The conversation addresses why the gap exists, how to overcome parental skepticism, approaches to discussing value without guilt, the role of new myopia control glasses, and specific, actionable strategies for optometric practices.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Myopia Treatment Gap: Data & Current State

• Vast Majority of ODs Under-Delivering:
  • 78% of U.S. optometrists claim to offer myopia management, yet only 4–5% of eligible children are actually in treatment.
  • "There’s probably 25 to 30 million myopic kids in the US today, and only 4 or 5% of those are in some kind of myopia treatment." — Matt Oerding [00:00], [02:39]
• The Gap Is Slowly Shrinking:
  • Five years ago, only 2% were treated; now up to 4–5%.
  • “It’s shifting in the right direction… but just not fast enough.” — Matt Oerding [05:36]
• Critical Importance of Early Intervention:
  • Missing early myopia means lost opportunity for lifelong vision and disease risk reduction.
    • “If we miss the kid when they're 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and maybe we initiated treatment about discussion when they're 14, we've missed an opportunity…” — Matt Oerding [05:36]

Why the Gap Exists

1. Low Parent Awareness

• Despite investments in public education, most parents are still unaware of myopia management.
• “It takes a long time… to build awareness of a new treatment… So, it’s up to the optometrist or their staff to bring it up.” — Matt Oerding [03:39]

2. Case Presentation Challenges

• ODs often uncomfortable or ill-equipped to introduce treatment, especially to longtime patients.
• Time constraints exacerbate the issue; thorough parent education can take 10–15 minutes.
• “A lot of optometrists have struggled with case presentation… especially if they’ve been seeing that kid for a few years…” [03:39]

3. Practice Systems / Team Approach

• Practices relying solely on ODs struggle; team involvement is essential.
• Short comprehensive exam time slots (15–20 min) leave little room for deep discussion.

Parent Psychology & Communication Strategy

Understanding What Works with Parents

• Don’t Use Guilt:

  • Parents are already sensitive about their children’s well-being and don’t respond to guilt-based messaging.
  • “They need to be seen more as you’re educating them and you’re a partner… take away some of that guilt…” — Matt Oerding [12:19]

• Empathize & Educate:

  • Acknowledge medical advances: “You just, you know, this has all been really developed in the last 10 years. Medicine changes and advances are made and parents connect with that…” [12:19]
  • Many parents have their own strong emotions about childhood myopia and want the choice to help their child.

• Highlight Near-term Benefits, Not Just Long-term Risks

  • “If you only talk about you’re reducing your child’s long-term risk of eye disease when they might be 40, 50 or 60, it’s not always that compelling… talk about the near-term benefits, like better vision now, ease in school or sports.” [12:19–16:11]

• Analogies that Resonate: Braces, LASIK

  • Parents view investments for myopia management similarly to braces or LASIK.
  • “Orthodontic braces... The age range is roughly similar. The price point... is actually $5,500. On average, 30% of American kids get orthodontic braces. It’s a $30 billion category.” — Matt Oerding [18:40]

Pricing & Preparedness

• Braces are a relevant analogy except for two major differences:
  1. Braces show a visible result, myopia management does not (use axial length to “show progress”)
  2. Braces are expected/anticipated; parents aren’t prepared for surprise out-of-pocket myopia management fees.

Sales Systems, Closing Rates, and Practice Tips

Close Rate Benchmarks

• “Dabblers” (who don’t consistently present) close at 30-40%.
• With the right systems (Treehouse Eyes model): consistently over 80% close rate.
  — “In our first clinics, our close rate was in the 20s… We’ve learned over time how you talk about this in the right way.” [21:02]

Most Common Mistake: Overcomplicating the Message

• ODs often get lost in explaining technology instead of focusing on benefits.
  • “The most common mistake we’ve seen is optometrists getting into the weeds of the technology too much… focus on benefits.” — Matt Oerding [26:00]
  • Only 15% of parents are “technical buyers”; the rest want clear, benefit-driven communication.

Efficient Consult Flow & Team Involvement

• Use pre-education tools/video content and assign tasks to techs and staff to reduce OD time.
• Mini Consult:
  • Use a 1–1.5 minute initial pitch during the routine eye exam, then schedule a dedicated consult.
    — “At the end of that eye examination, it’s about a one to 90 second max presentation. We call it a mini consult…” [30:02]
• Emphasis on staff reinforcing the message at all points of the process.

The “Rule of Five” for Follow-Up

• Most parents need multiple follow-ups—often up to five contacts—to move forward.
  • “You need to follow up five times. Five’s the magic number… a lot of times we see on the fifth outreach is when parents say, ‘Oh, yeah… get us booked.’” — Matt Oerding [33:23]

Dealing with Two-Parent Households

• Expect one parent to say “I need to talk to my partner.”
• Provide shareable resources (video, clear info) and systems for follow-up rather than requiring both parents' in-person attendance.

The Impact of Myopia Control Glasses: New Modalities

Parent Research on Glasses

• Glasses as a New Option:
  • Some parents skeptical: “How can this work if it doesn’t touch the eye?”
  • Educate that glasses are FDA-approved, work through optical intervention—“just like” contact lenses, delivered differently. — “There was more skepticism from parents that glasses can treat myopia… Well, how can this work if it doesn’t touch the eye?” [38:00]
• Younger Kids & Accessibility:
  • Parents of kids already in treatment wished glasses had been available for younger ages.
• Compliance Concerns:
  • Other countries report mixed compliance—need to monitor usage, revisit fit, and reinforce importance for results.
  • “In other countries… it’s mixed is what I’m hearing.” [40:39]
• Operational Impact:
  • Glasses breakage, loss, and insurance: Consider policies about dispensing two pairs, backup, and bundling services.
  • Glasses must be positioned as medical treatment (Class 2 device), not just another pair of spectacles.
    • “You can’t do that with these myopia control glasses. This is a medical treatment. It’s a Class 2 FDA device.” [44:58]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Market Opportunity:
  “The total addressable market, in our opinion is about $50 billion. And that's not the entire, that's just the addressable market.” — Matt Oerding [24:14]
• On Communicating Value:
  “New sells, Matt. I mean I'm a marketer. The idea is that always new, better… So positioning it as both new and state of the art is really great.” — Eugene Shatsman [16:35]
• On Overcoming Guilt:
  “Parents connect with that, that we’re always learning and innovating and doing new things. So you can kind of put them at ease that you’re not a bad parent for not having heard about this before.” — Matt Oerding [12:19]
• On the Need for Systematic Presentation:
  “Number one is not recommending treatment for every child who would benefit. That's just the number one mistake…” — Matt Oerding [50:49]
• On Follow-up:
  “It’s the rule of five. Follow up five times. Right. Once a week for five weeks until… unless they say no, stop bugging me, or unless they say yes…” — Matt Oerding [53:35]
• Reflection on the Size of the Unmet Need:
  “That’s $15 billion in revenue… as an industry, we're leaving on the table every year.” — Eugene Shatsman [23:07]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–02:30] — Data: The Real Myopia Gap in Children’s Treatment
• [03:24–05:26] — Why Don’t More Kids Get Treated? (Awareness, Presentation, Systems)
• [07:16–11:39] — Matt Oerding’s Personal & Professional Journey in Myopia Management
• [12:19–16:11] — Parent Psychology, Removing Guilt, Framing the Message
• [18:40–24:14] — Parental Analogies: Braces, LASIK, and Framing Pricing for Value
• [26:00–28:09] — The Biggest Mistake: Overloading with Technical Details
• [30:02–32:19] — “Mini Consult” Model & Importance of Team Approach
• [33:23–35:50] — Overcoming Objections, The Rule of Five, Managing Two-Parent Households
• [36:26–40:23] — Research on Myopia Control Glasses: Insights & Skepticism
• [44:58–46:23] — How Glasses Change Practice Systems, Pricing, and Compliance
• [50:49–54:53] — Top 3 Mistakes Practices Make — and How to Overcome Them

Top 3 Actionable Takeaways (with Solutions)

1. Present Myopia Management to Every Eligible Child

• Don’t pre-judge willingness/ability to pay; use a brief, systematic approach for consistency.

2. Plant the Seed Early

• Begin the myopia/progression education discussion even before a child becomes myopic—just like dentists do for braces.

3. Commit to Structured Follow-Up

• Use the "Rule of Five": persist in follow-up with non-deciding parents, using value-added resources.

Conclusion: Call to Action

Matt Oerding and Eugene Shatsman challenge industry professionals to adopt systems that close the myopia care gap—for the benefit of their patients and practices. The conversation provides both a compelling business case and specific, repeatable strategies to help more children receive life-changing myopia treatment.

For more information, visit www.PowerPractice.com or connect with the host and guest as detailed in the show notes.